Friday, March 13, 2009

On a day like today...

It was one of my favourite Pat Boone numbers. Aaaah - nostalgia.'On a day like today'.... but that's where the lyrics end as reality kicks in savagely. It's a weird day. Almost pre-monsoony. I can spot rain clouds on the horizon. How strange is that? And there are war clouds looming across the border. It is not looking good. Zardari's on the run - or should be. The Generals are restless. Nawaz Sharif looks ready to assume control. The Long March sounds ominous. Anarchy appears to be round the corner. Holbrooke is making all the right noises about America's 'concern'. It seems somehow stage- managed and phoney. From India's point of view, this is not a great development. No matter what those Generals claim night after night on Arnab's show, democracy looks doomed in Pakistan. The Begum in Bangladesh is equally insecure. Sri Lanka is permanently on the boil. What more do we need? Tibet and the Chinese to perform the Dragon Dance?At such times I turn to the one constant that always guarantees comfort and provides an instant fix - food. I have taken to crushing fresh Mahableshwar strawberries into my lunch -time lassi. These strawberries are the real thing - small, succulent and sweet. They don't look as sexy as their pumped up cousins - the botoxed variety that's imported and pricey. But they sure as hell beat them hollow in the taste stakes. My salad is getting adventurous , too. Pears, iceberg lettuce and rocket leaves, combined with walnuts and pumpkin seeds, lavishly doused with classic French dressing. Oh, I forgot ... shavings of Parmesan cheese on days when I am hungry - really, really hungry. Try it. Chef Abhijit Sahai who used to be with I-Talia, the splendid Italian restaurant at the Park Hotel in Bangalore, introduced me to this combo years ago. Well, the talented chef has moved on and is poised to open his own restaurant later this month. He claims it's India's first that serves molecular food and authentic Spanish tapas. I'll let you know just how authentic after I sample his fare.I'll be addressing the Indian Association of Secretaries and Administrative Professionals (established in 1970) later this evening. I've chosen to speak about - women!! What else?? The focus being on how women can make themselves heard MORE EFFECTIVELY and fight back when attacked. I'll be carrying our S.I.T.A. Sena posters with me.What is astonishing and disappointing is that not a single political party so far has thought it important enough to spell out an agenda designed to address and aid this specific constituency. Do women not count??At all?? Girija Vyas, who heads the National Women's Commission, spoke so casually about ' women-related issues', she actually reduced women to a mere statistic, on Karan Thapar's incisive show last week. She sounded like her last priority was doing something CONSTRUCTIVE for her own kind!!I am convinced an enlightened man would do a far better job than this lady whose heart is obviously not in what she's doing. Oh dear, oh dear...the mood is getting gloomier. How long can I continue to make the weird weather an alibi??

16 comments:

i sometimes feel sad for pakistan. wonder how a country with no political spine would be surviving...********************************ohh we were missing our Chak De for quite some time. And look she is back with a bang. now we will be long salivating :)

*******************************women do count. they count as cheer leaders, they count as mona darling... they are more seen as viagra.

statistics is what we love. a number obsessed nation we are. i feel we spend too much time in analysis than in action. most like it that way... numbers need to be a tool for social service, finding numbers is but not social service.

That salad sounds nice! I love Parmesan cheese, though the missus does not take too kindly to my eating too much of it. Something about my triglyceride numbers.

Yes, our jolly old neighbours have made a complete pigs breakfast of their respective governments, haven't they? I happened to ask a senior army officer (brig. gen) what prevented India going the same way. You know, army taking over. His chilling reply - "Only the goodness of our hearts, my dear fellow!". I wonder what to make of that.

Yes Pat Boone is awesome-o. I love his voice! India has miles and miles to go before "women" become anything more than stats, no pun intended. Like Nietzsche said a long time ago,“When a woman has scholarly inclinations there is usually something wrong with her sexuality”. The mentality has obviously not changed.

Hi Mam, I saw your interview on Karan Thapar's show, I wanted to write this earlier, I kept wondering during the show that WHO made her the chairperson of National Commision for Women ??? I mean she never answered anything that meant something.

I am guessing Abhijit Sahai's restaurant is going to be located in Mumbai. Whr???Molecular food sure will be served for the 1st time in India, quite a 'haute' concept even in the western world.Will luk fwd to ur review.

I heard about a pretty cool place in Chicago called Moto - their cuban missile crisis (cuban sandwich shaped like a cigar) is quite intriguing, would love to try it out sometime. Worth a peek, I wrote a post about it a few months ago - http://matterofgray.blogspot.com/2009/02/more-ash-please.html

Dont mean to include my bloglink but just thought it was really cool so had to share!

You are so right when you say that, "What more do we need? Tibet and the Chinese to perform the Dragon Dance?" South Asia is turning out to be very unstable region with Pakistan in the lead, Bangla Desh following and Sri Lanka having its own set of problems. India, with all its problems, seems to be the only saving grace for the region. For how long can we remain unaffected by the instability in our neighbourhood is the million dollar question? I do hope and pray that things settle down in the region - it is in India's best interest.

Ha ha ha...sorry to be laughing despite your gloomy mood, nothing but your lucid writing inspired it. I mean I can't just get over the term 'botoxed strawberry'...love it!:-D :-DWonder how many injections must have been spared for the revival therapy of the fruit!!!!!!

Well, you seem to be like a Women's Woman! India (or rather, the world around) warrants more of it....Ms Vyas needs to improve and learn that its not about women chauvinism but about women chivalry that is going to create a difference.

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